Tag: India

India and UAE will use local currencies in bilateral trade

One of the interesting developments in world politics has been the de-dollarization of international trade, increasing willingness to use local or other currencies instead of US dollar. One recent example of this has been the trade agreement between India and the United Arab Emirates (1). This agreement is interesting, because India and UAE are close allies of USA – for example, India and UAE are part of the India-Israel-US-UAE Alliance (I2-U2), economic group that was established in October 2021 (2).

References:

1) “India, UAE agree to use local currencies in bilateral trade” Middle East Monitor 16.7.2023

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230716-india-uae-agree-to-use-local-currencies-in-bilateral-trade/

2) “The India-Israel-US-UAE Alliance (I2-U2): Background and Objectives” Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, Doha Institute 19.7.2022

https://www.dohainstitute.org/en/PoliticalStudies/Pages/the-emergent-alliance-between-the-us-israel-india-and-the-uae-i2-u2-background-and-objectives.aspx

International Day to Combat Islamophobia

Today is International Day to Combat Islamophobia. As we have seen in the news, Islamophobia is a major problem around the world. Some of the more recent examples of Islamophobia and anti-Muslim bias have been the “pogrom” carried out by Israeli settlers in the Palestinian town of Huwara last month and the suggestion by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich that Huwara should be “wiped out” (1, 2). Sweden caused uproar in January when it gave far-right activist Rasmus Paludan permission to burn Quran. However, Sweden didn’t give permission to burn Torah, the holy book of Judaism. (3, 4) Controversial French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo seems to use every opportunity to insult Muslims – example of this was a cartoon mocking victims of the disastrous earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria (5).

Big Tech has had important role in spreading Islamophobia and anti-Muslim content. Last year Amnesty International published a report where it claimed that Facebook’s algorithms “proactively amplified” anti-Rohingya content and that Facebook’s parent company Meta “substantially contributed” to human rights violations perpetrated against Rohingya ethnic group in Myanmar (6). Report published by Islamic Council of Victoria (ICV) in Australia stated last year that nearly 86% of anti-Muslim posts on Twitter come from the USA, United Kingdom and India. The report noted that Twitter is “drastically failing at removing anti-Muslim content”. (7)

More information about the International Day to Combat Islamophobia:

https://www.un.org/en/observances/anti-islamophobia-day

References:

1) “Settler extremists are sowing terror, Huwara riot was a ‘pogrom,’ top general says” The Times of Israel 28.2.2023

https://www.timesofisrael.com/settler-extremists-sowing-terror-huwara-riot-was-a-pogrom-top-general-says/

2) “Far-right Israeli minister Smotrich claims his ‘wipe out Hawara’ comment was not a military order” The New Arab 9.3.2023

https://www.newarab.com/news/smotrich-backtracks-again-his-wipe-out-hawara-comment

3) “‘Over 1.5 billion Muslims hurt’: Reaction to Quran desecration in Sweden” TRT World 21.1.2023

https://www.trtworld.com/europe/over-1-5-billion-muslims-hurt-reaction-to-quran-desecration-in-sweden-64746

4) “Man prevented from desecrating Torah outside Israeli embassy in Sweden despite Quran burning incidents” The New Arab 28.1.2023

https://www.newarab.com/news/torah-burning-sweden-stopped-despite-quran-desecration

5) “The banality of evil: Charlie Hebdo mocks Türkiye quake victims” TRT World 7.2.2023

https://www.trtworld.com/opinion/the-banality-of-evil-charlie-hebdo-mocks-türkiye-quake-victims-65266

6) “Meta’s Facebook Algorithms ‘Proactively’ Promoted Violence Against the Rohingya, New Amnesty International Report Asserts” Time 28.9.2022

https://time.com/6217730/myanmar-meta-rohingya-facebook/

7) “Majority of anti-Muslim Twitter posts come from US, UK and India” Middle East Eye 19.9.2022

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/majority-anti-muslim-twitter-posts-come-us-uk-india

The influence of Adolf Hitler and “Mein Kampf” in India

It is hard to imagine how Adolf Hitler could be seen in any way as a positive role model. However, Hitler and his book “Mein Kampf” have found fans in surprising places, for example in India. Hitler was featured as an inspirational leader in a children’s book, last year, and “Mein Kampf” has been a bestseller in India for years (1, 2). According to some sources, Indian business students have used the book “as a self-improvement and management strategy guide.” Sohin Lakhani, owner of Mumbai-based Embassy books, said in 2009:

“They see it as a kind of success story where one man can have a vision, work out a plan on how to implement it and then successfully complete it.” (2)

Josh Scheinert wrote in 2014 that Hitler’s legacy in India is very different compared to the legacy in the West:

“More removed from the traumas associated with World War II and the Holocaust, Indians approach Hitler from a distance not possible in societies where war veterans, Holocaust survivors and education about the war and its legacy are part of the national psyche.” (3)

The events regarding World War II are not taught extensively in Indian schools, so the Indians are not necessarily aware of the negative stigma Hitler has in the West. There has also been some willingness to overlook Hitler’s most terrible acts and see him only as a strong leader. (3)

According to the Indian people Scheinert interviewed, Hitler’s book hadn’t caused anti-semitism. However, one member of the Jewish community in Calcutta said that there might be a risk that the Hindu nationalist movement might abuse the book’s message. (3) Some academics have believed that the book has been popular because of political reasons and it has been source of inspiration for the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party BJP. (2) Hitler seems to have become part of the political debate in India during recent years. Last August Naramalli Sivaprasad, an Indian MP from southern state of Andhra Pradesh, caused shock by being dressed as Hitler in protest against the federal government’s refusal to grant “special category” to Andhra Pradesh (4). Mallikarjun Kharge, senior leader of the Congress Party, caused controversy last November by comparing Prime Minister Narenda Modi to Hitler. The BJP responded to the criticism by claiming that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi used the language of the former German Chancellor. (5)

References:

1) “Indian Children’s Book Lists Hitler as Leader ‘Who Will Inspire You’” The New York Times 17.3.2018

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/17/world/asia/india-hitler-childrens-book.html

2) “Indian business students snap up copies of Mein Kampf ” The Telegraph 20.4.2009

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/5182107/Indian-business-students-snap-up-copies-of-Mein-Kampf.html

3) “Why is Adolf Hitler popular in India?” The Jerusalem Post 29.9.2014

https://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Why-is-Adolf-Hitler-popular-in-India-376622

4) “India MP shocks with Hitler costume protest in parliament” BBC News 10.8.2018

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-45140801

5) “Indira Gandhi used Hitler’s language: BJP” The Economic Times 5.11.2018

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/indira-gandhi-used-hitlers-language-bjp/articleshow/66512686.cms